The Darkness Within
by spiritlight25
Summary: Over time, Luigi's hidden evil self has been haunting him and his dreams continue to worsen with each passing night. Will he be able to break free from it all or will he subcummb to the darkness?
1. Prologue

This is my first fic for the _Mario _section here. I had fun writing the dream sequence. Well, nothing left to say now except, enjoy!

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The Darkness Within

Prologue

_He was surrounded by darkness. The dark shadows swirled around him as he stood in the center of the void. His whole body was shaking in fear. The sound of laughter permeated his hearing; sending cold shivers down his spine._

"_W-who are y-you?" stammered Luigi as he continued shaking._

"_Haven't you figured it out yet, Luigi?" asked the mysterious voice. "I'm you."_

"_Huh?" Luigi was struck with confusion as he looked at his surroundings. But before he could say another word, his question was answered._

_A figure slowly emerged from the shadows and stood before Luigi. He had clothes that were all black, accessorized with a dark-green bandana around his neck, and a dark-green hat resting on his head. The hat was strikingly similar to Luigi's except it had a black circle and the 'L' looked as though it was in a reflection. A black mask was on his face, making him look even more mysterious. Luigi took one look at the person in front of him and he immediately knew whom this stranger was._

"_Mr. L," he whispered._

"_That's right, Luigi," Mr. L said as he advanced towards his counterpart._

_Luigi instinctively took a step back, his body trembling. He never thought that it would be possible to see his evil self face-to-face. Yet here he was, doing just that._

"_W-what**…** do you w-want?"_

_Mr. L didn't answer. He just smirked at Luigi's cowardice. He simply stared at the young plumber, eyes glaring maliciously._

_**Don't just stand there. Run! **Luigi's mind practically screamed at him to move but his legs just wouldn't respond. He could only stare at his counterpart in fear. This made Mr. L snicker._

"_W-what's so funny?" Luigi managed to ask._

"_Look at you." Mr. L began as he stepped towards him. "You're the complete opposite of Mario. You're too big of a coward to step up when you get the chance. And you let him get all the glory, knowing full well that you were there aiding him. You're afraid of even the smallest little thing. To think that the great Mario would have a scaredy-cat for a brother like yourself."_

_Luigi remained at his spot, his green cap obscuring his face. He was too ashamed to admit… that Mr. L was right. He was always afraid of danger and he lets his older brother take the cake. Never in his life had he tried to live up to his brother or anybody's expectations._

"_Which is why I'll be helping you."_

_Luigi lifted his hat and looked at Mr. L. Help him? He's offering to help him? Why would he even think of doing such a thing?_

"_H-help m-me? Why would you do that?"_

"_Simple. With my help, you'll be able to get all the attention and appreciation you desire. Even knock Mario out of the spotlight."_

"_Uh**…** I**… **don't know**…**"_

"_Think about it, Luigi. With your brother out of the way, you'll have everyone looking up to you." Mr. L stepped even closer until the two were at eye-level. "And all you have to do is get rid of him."_

"_Get rid of him? You mean**…**"_

"_That's right. And I can help you with that. By destroying your brother, the Mushroom Kingdom will be in grave danger. Bowser will see that as an opportunity to take over. And who will be there to save it from destruction? You."_

_Time stood still for Luigi as he let the information sink in. The thought of saving the whole Mushroom Kingdom would be a big step for him if he wanted his share of popularity. And having everyone acknowledge and appreciate him for once would be a dream come true. But would he really go to a certain extreme just to get what he deeply desires? Would he really harm his own brother just so he can finally shine in the warmth of the spotlight?_

"_No," Luigi softly whispered to himself._

"_What?" Mr. L was certain he heard something. "What did you say?"_

_Luigi's eyes narrowed as a sudden wave of confidence crashed into him. He backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving Mr. L's._

"_I said no," Luigi responded. His voice grew a bit louder. "I may not get the appreciation I deserve, but I would never hurt Mario just to get what I want."_

"_Listen to yourself-"_

"_No! _You_ listen! Mario is my brother! And I would never want him out of my life just so I can feel like I'm actually needed!"_

_A sudden wave of silence fell as soon as Luigi had finished. Mr. L stood there; shock was evident in his eyes. He hadn't realized that the plumber before him had such a strong, confident voice of his own. He stared at him for what seemed like a long time._

"_Are you really sure about that?" he finally asked._

_Luigi nodded. He turned around and began to walk off but was stopped by Mr. L's voice._

"_You're making a big mistake, Luigi."_

_The plumber ignored him and continued walking but was stopped again, this time by a gloved hand around the wrist._

"_You're not going anywhere, Luigi." Mr. L's hand was wrapped around his counterpart's left wrist. He felt him beginning to shake in fear._

"_You're not going anywhere," he repeated._

"_Let me go." Luigi made a futile attempt to struggle out of the grasp. "Let me go!" He felt his confidence already slipping away._

_Mr. L's lips formed an evil smirk. He chuckled softly at Luigi's diminishing courage. _

_**No more games**, he thought as he brought up his free hand and snapped his fingers._

_Three black power stars suddenly appeared in the dark void. They began to circle around the only two people in the center of darkness._

_Mr. L tightened his grip on Luigi's wrist, causing the plumber to struggle even harder._

"_Are you sure you won't change your mind?" he whispered into his counterpart's ear._

_Luigi immediately ceased struggling and found himself too numb to move now. All he wanted now was to get out of there, to escape his 'twin.' Luigi couldn't even answer and the next thing he knew he was pushed to the ground. Looking up, he saw the three black power stars and Mr. L looming over him._

"_Mario, help me. Please," he softly whispered. However, his evil self had overheard him and began to chuckle._

"_You really are pathetic. I don't think I'll ever understand how you two could possibly be related other than by blood."_

_Mr. L took a couple steps forward and raised his right hand. A soft, dark-green light started to shine within his palm until the light formed into a dark-green fireball. He raised his hand further above his head and looked down at the cowering man before him._

"_Farewell, Luigi."_

_Paralyzed with overwhelming fear, Luigi shut his eyes and braced himself for the impact**…**_

"HEEELLLPP!!!" Luigi screamed as he bolted upright on his bed. Panicked light-blue eyes darted around the room. The only thing that can be heard was Luigi's rapid breathing.

_It was only a dream_, he thought as he tried to calm himself down. _More like a nightmare._

"Luigi?" A voice called from the other side of the door. "Luigi, are you alright?"

Finding his voice, Luigi answered, "I- I'm okay, Mario."

"Are you sure? Can I come in?"

"No, that's okay."

"But I heard you screaming. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Good night."

"Good night, lil' bro."

Luigi sighed as he heard his brother's footsteps fade away. He didn't want to tell Mario what really happened. Besides, it was just a dream.

But as much as Luigi wanted to think of it as such, he couldn't get the realistic feel of it out of his mind. It was almost as if Mr. L was right in front of him, telling him that he'll be able to assist him in some sort of way. And all of those things he had said seemed true to Luigi. He wanted the popularity and the attention. Deep down, he was tired of living in his brother's shadow and not always getting his share of the glory. However, there was only one thing Luigi would never do and that's harming his own older brother. The last thing he wanted was to see Mario hurt in any way possible.

_It was only a dream_, Luigi mentally repeated as he wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. He lied down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as he tried to stay awake but it was no use.

"Just… a… dream…" Luigi mumbled as he felt slumber finally take over him.

But little did Luigi know that this would not be the last of his nightmares**…**


	2. Ch 1: Denial

Here's the next part of the story. For those who didn't know this, I don't have the game _Super Paper Mario_ (yet, hopefully). I found out about Mr. L from other people.

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The Darkness Within

Chapter 1: Denial

The sun was shining brightly throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. All of the inhabitants awoke from the sun's rays and had prepared themselves for the day to come.

Well… almost everyone…

"Luigi?" called Mario from the bottom of the staircase. "Lil' bro! Are you awake yet?"

He had been calling his younger brother since ten in the morning, but received no response. Mario had been concerned about what had happened the previous night. He was certain Luigi was screaming for help. But help from what?

"Luigi!" Mario called again. Still no response. Deciding to not waste his breath anymore, he climbed up the stairs and made his way to Luigi's bedroom. When he reached the door he gave it a few quick knocks. There was no answer.

"Luigi?"

Nothing. Mario tried knocking again and got the same response.

_That's strange, _he thought. _Luigi's never slept for this long since we were little kids. I hope he's okay._

Mario reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. Peeking inside, he immediately saw his brother tossing and turning on the bed.

Luigi's mumbling reached Mario's ears as the older brother walked into the room. Mario couldn't understand what he was mumbling about but all he thought at the moment was to get Luigi up. He made it to the bed and started to shake the younger brother's shoulder.

"Luigi," Mario whispered. "Luigi, wake up."

The younger brother mumbled something incoherently as he brought the covers up to his chest.

"C'mon, Luigi. Wake up." Mario's voice was a little louder as his shaking became harder. Much to his dismay, Luigi just ignored him and brought up the covers further up to his chin.

_This is getting ridiculous, _Mario thought. _Luigi should've been up by now._

As he pondered on how to get his sibling up, Mario's lips curled into a smirk. He leaned over the slumbering one's head, drew in a quick breath, and…

"LUIGI!"

Mario quickly drew back and watched the spectacle before him. Luigi immediately let out a startled scream and he was suddenly caught in his green cocoon of a blanket. He struggled to get loose, only to fall over the edge of the bed and land on the floor with a face-plant. He looked up at his older brother who was trying to hide his laughter.

"A-are y-you okay, L-Luigi?" Mario managed to ask between his giggles.

Luigi gave him a quick glare before replying, "Did you have to wake me up like _that_, Mario?"

"W-well, you didn't wake up when I called you."

"That's because of the nightmare I had last night," muttered Luigi.

"What?"

"Nothing." Luigi got up from the floor and yawned. "By the way, what time is it?"

Mario glanced over to the alarm clock resting on the bedside table and answered, "11:35."

"Oh. That's– Wait. What?"

Luigi looked at his clock and sure enough, it read that exact time. As he gazed at the object, he felt his mind wandering off.

"Hey, stop staring at the clock and get dressed."

"Huh? Why?"

"We got to go fix that broken pipe and a leaky faucet at Princess Peach's castle. Don't tell me you forgot."

"What? No, I didn't forget. I was just… lost in my own thoughts. That's all."

"Uh-huh. Is it about Princess Daisy?"

Luigi felt his cheeks burn up even though that wasn't what he was thinking about. He did like her and knows that she feels the same, but Daisy wasn't the person Luigi's mind was preoccupied with.

"C'mon, bro," came Mario's voice. "Hurry up so we can go. I'll meet you outside."

Luigi nodded as he watched his brother leave the room. Sighing, the younger brother walked over to his closet and picked out his usual clothes. As he continued his morning routine, his mind trailed off to that dream again.

The way the atmosphere felt seemed real and Luigi could've sworn he felt cold standing in the center of the dark, unknown world. And when he faced Mr. L, he thought he was going to lose it. He didn't bolt when he had the perfect opportunity. He just stood there and listened to everything he was told of.

But did that really happen? Did he really face his evil counterpart? Or was his mind playing tricks on him?

Luigi had already reassured himself that the whole situation was a dream and kept on doing so. But if it was, then why did it feel so realistic? Did Mr. L really make an appearance and offer him something that Luigi secretly wanted?

"Why am I even thinking this? All of it was a dream," Luigi said to himself as he pulled his green long-sleeved shirt over his head. After buttoning his blue overalls and putting his white gloves on, Luigi made his bed and left the room. He was only two steps from the door when he realized something.

"Forgot my hat." Luigi walked over to the dresser where the green cap was sitting on. Placing it on his head, he looked at himself in the mirror.

As he gazed upon the glass his blue eyes went wide at his reflection. In the mirror was the reflection of Mr. L. His eyes were staring right at the green-wearing plumber and his smile was that of an intimidating smirk.

Luigi quickly rubbed his eyes and looked back at the mirror. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his own reflection. But did he really see Mr. L in the mirror?

"Great. Now I'm seeing things."

Nodding in approval of his appearance, Luigi left the room to meet up with his brother.

***

"Hey, Luigi, could you pass me that wrench?" Mario asked while sticking out an open hand for the tool. He felt nothing but air.

"Luigi, did you hear me?"

Mario turned his head a little to his left to see Luigi staring off into space.

"Hey, Luigi!"

The little brother snapped back to reality. He looked at the shorter man in confusion.

"Did you say something?"

"Yeah. I asked if you could pass me that wrench over there."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Luigi grabbed the wrench that was sticking out of the toolbox and handed it over.

"Thank you."

Luigi only nodded and went back to leaning against the bathroom wall. He watched Mario fix the faucet for a bit before turning his head and yawning. He was a little tired after waking from that nightmare in the middle of the night but he was sure it was only a one-time thing.

"So, Luigi… How'd you sleep last night after what happened?"

"After what happened?"

"You know. After I left."

"Oh, I slept fine." Another yawn came from the taller man.

"You sure? 'Cause you look a little tired."

"Oh, that's because- " Luigi immediately stopped himself from going any further. Mario noticed this and turned to face him.

"Because of what?"

Luigi lowered his head and turned his back to Mario. He almost slipped out the nightmare he had and he didn't want to tell anyone about it. Not yet.

"Nothing. I-it's nothing."

Mario put down the wrench and walked over to Luigi, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"That's what you said last night. You know you can tell me anything, bro. What is it?"

"I… I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?"

The taller sibling didn't respond vocally. He just nodded, his eyes glued to the floor.

Mario gently patted his shoulder and understood. He respected that and didn't want to press any further with questions. Yes, he is concerned, but he wanted Luigi to come to him when he was ready.

"Well, the faucet's all done," Mario said, wanting to change the subject. "Let's go fix that pipe."

"Uh, let me do it." Luigi suddenly said.

"What?" Mario asked in surprise.

"I said I want to fix it." Luigi went over to the toolbox and picked it up. He motioned for Mario to pass him the wrench.

"Okay." The older brother gave him the tool. "If you need some help, I'll be at the dining hall with Peach."

Luigi nodded and proceeded to the basement of the castle where the broken pipe was. Mario stayed behind and watched his little brother leave.

_I hope you're feeling okay, Luigi,_ he thought as he made his exit.

***

Luigi stared at the pipe with weary eyes. Placing the toolbox next to him on the floor, he took out a wrench that was bigger than the one Mario used and got to work. As he worked, he thought about his brother's concern.

_Maybe I should've told him, _Luigi thought._ That way, things would be a whole lot easier. After all, he is my brother. He'll understand._

_But… what if he doesn't? What if he laughs and says that I'm crazy? Oh, I think I am crazy just thinking about all this. But I should tell him anyway just to get it off my chest._

_Then again, maybe I shouldn't._

_No. No, I gotta tell _someone.

_What if Mario doesn't understand?_

Unsure of what to do, Luigi let out a frustrated scream and smacked the pipe with the wrench he had been holding. The pipe snapped open from the force of the swing. And to add insult to injury, it was a water pipe.

Only one word came from the plumber…

"Oops."

_**SPLOOSH!**_

***

Meanwhile, Mario and Peach were in the dining hall having tea and cookies. Well, Peach was anyway. Mario was staring into his tea and sighed. Peach, noticing his odd behavior, looked at him and asked, "Something wrong, Mario?"

The red-wearing plumber put the tea aside and looked up at her. "It's Luigi. I think something's wrong with him."

"Did you talk to him?"

"I tried to, but he says that it's nothing."

"Maybe it is nothing."

"No, it's something. Last night, I heard him screaming and I went to see if there was anything wrong. He said that he was okay. And earlier when I asked him how he slept afterwards, he said he slept fine but he was still tired because of something."

The princess was perplexed about the last part. "Because of what?"

"I don't know. He didn't want to tell me. But I think it had to do with what happened last night."

"Well, Mario, I think Luigi wants some time to think about telling you or anybody else. Just give him some time and don't worry."

"Easier said than done," Mario muttered.

"He'll come to you eventually, Mario. Have a cookie."

Sitting at the center of the table was the plate of cookies. As Mario reached out to grab one, he heard the sound of footsteps dragging across the floor followed by Peach's giggles.

"What's so funny?"

The blonde-haired princess gestured for him to turn around. Mario followed suit and was surprised to see a soaking wet Luigi standing there, toolbox at hand.

"The pipe's fixed, princess," said the drenched man as he wiped off the water from his face.

"Let me get you a towel," Peach offered.

"That's okay."

"No, no. I insist. Wait there."

While Peach went in search for a towel, Mario found this the perfect opportunity to talk to his younger brother. He offered him a chair to sit down on but Luigi refused. The wet plumber fidgeted in his spot while his older brother went back to stare at his tea.

_Here's your chance, _Luigi thought. _You can tell him right now._

Feeling a slight boost of confidence, he cleared his throat to get his brother's attention.

"Uh… Mario?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh…"

"What is it, Luigi?"

"Well..." At this point Luigi was practically scrambling to get the words out. So much for that confidence boost.

He opened his mouth to try again, but to both his dismay and relief, Peach came back with a towel in her hands.

"Here," she said as she handed Luigi the towel. The plumber took it and started drying himself off. Sensing a slight tension, the princess looked at her guests and asked, "Was I interrupting something?"

"Uh, don't worry, Peach. You weren't." Luigi felt like slapping himself right about now. If Peach came back just a bit later, he would've been able to tell Mario what was bothering him. He had the perfect chance but since he couldn't confess, he blew it.

He didn't want to face Peach or Mario, so he turned and started walking out of the dining hall while trying to hold back another yawn. But before he could take another step, Peach's voice stopped him.

"Luigi, would you like a cookie? Or perhaps some tea?" Her voice sounded as though she wanted him to stay.

The younger brother shook his head. "No thank you, Peach."

"Are you sure?" The princess noticed his expressionless tone.

Luigi nodded and sluggishly made his way out of the dining hall. Out of the corner of his eye, Mario watched his brother leave while dropping the towel along the way. Once Luigi was out of the room, Mario turned to Peach and said, "I'd better go."

Peach nodded and understood. She was just as concerned as Mario was and she also wanted to know if there was anything wrong.

The red-capped plumber was about to leave when Peach stopped him for a moment.

"Here, take a few cookies." She took a few of the treats, wrapped them neatly in a napkin, and gave them to Mario.

"Thank you, Peach. I'm sure Luigi might want one later." He took the cookies and went to find his brother.

***

_I had the perfect chance to tell him, and what do I do? I chicken out! _Luigi's mind was practically scolding him about earlier.

_**Perhaps it was best that you didn't. After all, he doesn't have to know. No one does.**_

Light-blue eyes snapped wide at the mysterious voice. Luigi looked around for the owner of the voice but no one was there. He was the only one in the castle's main hall.

"Who's there?" he softly whispered. There was no answer to his question. Luigi sighed.

"First I'm seeing things and now I'm hearing voices." He looked around again just to make sure he was the only one in the hall. "I might as well be going crazy."

Luigi kept on walking down the hall. However, he was unaware that someone overheard him.

Mario poked his head around the wall he was hiding behind and looked at Luigi.

_What is he talking about?_ he wondered as he followed Luigi.

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Yeah, I know this chapter's really long. Don't worry. The next chapter will be a bit shorter. Or will it?


	3. Ch 2: Hallucinating or Reality?

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas, New Year's, and any other holiday you might have celebrated. I can't believe it's 2009! Wow! Alright, enough of me. Here's the next chapter of the story (and my first one for the new year).

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The Darkness Within

Chapter 2: Hallucinating or Reality?

Luigi let out a yawn as he entered the house. In his mind he was still a little ashamed at himself for not saying anything. He always went to Mario whenever he was scared or had a bad dream. Why did he start to hold back now?

He walked over to the living room and sat down on the sofa. He took off his green cap and started to play with it.

"Hopefully tonight I'll get some sleep." He yawned again and looked at his hat. Only it wasn't his hat…

"Wha-?" Luigi's eyes widened at the cap. It was his but at the same time it wasn't. The black circle was there along with the backwards '_L_'. Luigi shut his eyes tightly and threw the hat with all his might across the room.

"It's only my imagination," he said to himself. "None of this is happening."

_**Are you sure about that, Luigi?**_

Luigi gasped at the voice. "What? Who...?"

_**Surprised? I don't know why you should be. You already know it's me.**_

"Go away," Luigi muttered. He covered his ears to block out the voice of his other half. "Go away."

_**I don't see why I should. Well, Luigi, have you made your decision?**_

"Just go away," the plumber pleaded. "Leave me alone!"

_**I see that you haven't made up your mind yet. Alright then. I'll leave you… for now. Until then, Luigi…**_

The youngest sibling slowly uncovered his ears. He hadn't realized his body was trembling the whole time. He let himself slide off the couch and onto the floor. He took in a couple of deep breaths to settle down.

"I really hope that this is just my imagination."

"Luigi?"

Luigi suddenly jumped at the sound of his brother's voice.

"Mario! I- I didn't hear you come home."

"I just got here. Uh, what are you doing on the floor like that?" Mario glanced around the living room in case there was anything out of the ordinary when he caught sight of something green resting on the carpet.

"And why is your hat over there?"

"Huh?" Luigi looked across the room to see his hat sitting on the floor. The black circle and the backwards '_L'_ were gone. Luigi felt his cheeks burn up with slight embarrassment.

"My hat? Oh! I, uh, was aiming for the couch. I… guess I missed," he finished with a sheepish smile.

Mario was a bit skeptical but he tossed his own thoughts aside. "Okay… Are you sure you're alright, lil' bro?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Another yawn came from the cadet. "I'll be upstairs if you need me." Luigi got up, picked up his hat, and went upstairs.

Mario looked at the cookies he brought home and left them on the side table, hoping Luigi might want a snack later.

***

The sound of a door closing and a tired sigh were the only things that can be heard in Luigi's room. Hoping a good nap was all he needed, Luigi made his way over to the bed and lied down. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get his nap.

_**So, you're not going to tell him about our little conversation, hmm?**_

Luigi groaned at the voice. "What do you want from me?"

_**Now why would you ask something like that?**_

"Because you're already making me crazy and it's only been a day."

_**Well, then I suppose that I should be grateful that you aren't telling anyone about all this.**_

"Don't get your hopes up because I'm telling Mario! In fact, I'll tell him right now!"

Luigi, despite his fatigue, got up from bed and ran to the door. He opened it and was about to shout out for his brother when he felt a hand suddenly clamping itself onto his mouth. Wait. A hand? Where did that come from?

Luigi was suddenly pulled back in to the room as the door shut behind him. He looked down and saw a gloved hand over his mouth. The glove was gray in color and Luigi was able to catch sight of the fact that this person's sleeve was black. Wait a minute. Grey glove, black sleeve… The only person Luigi knew would wear that kind of clothing was…

"Surprised?"

Luigi's breath got caught in his throat. _This isn't happening. I'm just dreaming._

He felt the hand loosen and took this as his chance to turn around. Part of him wished he hadn't.

"Hello, Luigi. Surprised to see me?"

Luigi couldn't believe his eyes. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs but he couldn't. His throat was dry and he felt a faint coming on but he stood firm. Or at least he tried to. After about five minutes of silence, Luigi gulped and barely managed to ask, "W-what are you d-doing here?"

Mr. L chuckled at his tone. It was obvious that the plumber was shocked and terrified.

"You weren't thinking about my offer were you?"

"W-what?" _I've got to be dreaming._

"I told you that I can help you. Isn't that what you want? The spotlight shining on _you_ for once?"

"Th-that does sound nice but it isn't everything." _Please go away!_

"Luigi, Luigi, Luigi. Have you forgotten the benefits already?"

The plumber shook his head. "N-no. I-it's just…" He wasn't sure of what to say to his counterpart. What he wanted right now was for Mr. L to go away and leave him at ease. Too bad he wasn't going to leave easily.

"Need I remind you that getting rid of your brother is key to your secret desire?"

Luigi couldn't take anymore of this. He ran past Mr. L and made his way to the door again. He was about to open it when he felt a tug on his left arm.

"You can try all you want, but Mario will never understand."

"Y-yes he will. He's my brother and-"

"And he won't understand what's going through your mind," Mr. L interrupted. "And he never will. No one ever will."

Luigi remained silent. He felt as though he was put on mute. He wasn't sure if he was going to respond anytime soon. Mr. L saw this as an opportunity to continue.

"Do you think you can trust him? Do you think you can let him steal the limelight for himself and not share it?" He spun his good 'twin' around and the two were now face to face. "Remember all of those times when he left you alone to go save that weak princess?"

Luigi found this as his chance to finally say something. "Mario cares for me and he doesn't want me to get hurt."

"Wrong."

"Huh?"

"Wrong," Mr. L repeated. "He doesn't care for you. All he cares for is that weakling of a princess."

"Th-that's not true! How do think he felt when I had to go to Guffawha Ruins by myself to find a cure when he came down with Bean Fever? Or how about the time I saved him from King Boo? Okay, so I was scared out of my mind. But at least I saved him from permanently becoming a painting!"

"True… But do you think he was probably acting? That maybe he was only giving you pity?"

"What? No!"

"Are you sure that he wasn't feigning sickness or being captured?"

"No! Mario wouldn't do anything like that at all!"

"Oh, really? Well, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't he captured by Bowser at some point?"

"Yes."

"And who was it that saved him? It certainly wasn't you."

"It was Peach who saved him."

"Ah, you see?"

"See what?"

The Green Thunder sighed in exasperation. He wondered how Luigi could sometimes be naïve.

"Don't you get it? You're being ignored. You always have been. That was your opportunity to fight Bowser. But instead you get captured by one of his minions and you couldn't even free yourself. Pathetic."

The youngest brother couldn't help but admit that it was true. He was capable of at least attempting an escape but because of his cowardice, he just couldn't.

He was about to say something when he realized something else.

_This… this is just like my dream. Except… I'm awake… and this is actually happening._

"So, what will it be, Luigi? Are you going to continue living under Mario's shadow and remain a coward for the rest of your life, or will you let me assist you?"

Luigi watched as Mr. L stuck out his right hand. He bit his lip as his blue eyes glanced up to meet with Mr. L's. Should he accept? Is choosing the dark path even worth the risk of losing everything and everyone he cherished so dearly? Mario? Peach? Daisy? What would they think of him?

"Well?" came The Green Thunder's voice. "Do you accept?"

The cadet swallowed hard. This was somewhat familiar to his dream from the previous night. If he were to accept, he would lose everything and he didn't want to pay that price. No one does.

But on the other hand, he would finally be acknowledged and all eyes would be focused on him for a change. He would be the center of attention instead. But at what cost though?

The plumber took a step back and began to shake a little. "J-just go away."

He couldn't take much more of this. He didn't want to be the bad guy again. That wasn't worth anything. He didn't want to turn on his loved ones again, especially Mario.

Mr. L was beginning to lose his patience. How hard was making a decision anyway? He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the shaking plumber.

"I'm not sure how you can live your life as a coward. I'm only here to rid that from you. But if you do not cooperate, then you leave me no choice. I may have to force you and make you see your true potential." He paused for a moment to let the cadet say something, which he didn't do. Instead, Luigi was trembling in his spot.

"Consider that a warning. One way or another, you will be joining me. Until then, Luigi…"

That was it. Luigi stopped trembling long enough to run to the door one more time. Nothing was holding him back this time so he was able to make a mad dash out of the room. He raced down the hall and into the bathroom. He locked the door for some privacy and walked over to the sink. Turning on the faucet, he splashed some warm water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror.

"That didn't just happen," he said to himself. Disbelief was evident in his voice. "There was no way that it just happened. Right?"

Sadly, it did. There was no mistaking it. Surely, he was going out of his mind, as he can deny it no longer. He had confronted Mr. L just like in his dream. He tried to stand strong but his timid nature got the better of him.

"Okay, just calm down," Luigi spoke to his reflection. "Th-there's nothing to get all worked up about." He turned off the faucet, unlocked the door, and returned to his room. To his surprise, Mr. L was gone.

Luigi rubbed his eyes and looked around. The Green Thunder was nowhere to be seen.

"Mama mia, I think I'm losing it."

Looking at the clock, which read 8:17 pm, Luigi yawned and got in his pajamas. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder to make sure that he was alone. Sure enough, he was the only one in the room. He laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"_Do you think you can trust him? Do you think you can let him steal the limelight for himself and not share it?"_

Luigi couldn't get the conversation out of his head no matter how hard he tried. He would never turn his back on Mario, but the thought of being noticed was so tempting. He sighed as he brought the covers up to his chin and rolled to his left side.

"What am I gonna do?" he asked himself as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sorry if it's short. I tried making it as long as possible. But I think it seems short (to me anyway) because of the amount of dialogue. Oh, well. What are you goona do? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

For those who are unsure of what Luigi was talking about, those are references of the past games in the order as follows:

1) Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

2) Luigi's Mansion

3) Super Princess Peach

You'll find it about halfway through the chapter.


	4. Ch 3: A Brother's Concern

What's this? A second update in the same month? Yep, that's right. You're not dreaming this, readers. This in fact is my second update this month. Wow. Now, as many of you have probably realized, I've been updating this story monthly so far. Don't get used to having more than one chapter per month. In case you were wondering, the word "cadet", in this sense, is the youngest sibling in the family. Keep an eye out for that word because I'll be using it a lot in this story. Well, that's it for me. Happy reading!

* * *

The Darkness Within

Chapter 3: A Brother's Concern

Mario sighed as he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't get to sleep, mainly because he was worried about Luigi. He knew something was troubling him but he wasn't sure what that something was. He had never felt this worried since the mansion incident. He was scared not for his life, but for Luigi's. He had always been there for Luigi just as Luigi had always been there for him.

But now all that's being put to question. How could Mario be there this time if he didn't know what the problem was?

_How am I gonna help you, Luigi?_

Since sleeping was out of the question, Mario took off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced over to a picture that was resting on his dresser. The picture was of the two brothers. In it, Mario had an arm around Luigi's shoulder and Luigi was giving a thumbs-up to the camera. Both of them were as happy as can be.

But now, Mario noticed Luigi's sudden behavior. He was tired and a little bit jumpy for some reason. And what struck Mario as odd was that Luigi didn't tell him what was on his mind. He usually did, even when they were little kids.

_Rain fell through the night sky. Everyone was sound asleep, save for one person._

_A nine-year-old Luigi sat in his bed shaking as the rain continued pouring. He had a tight grip on his blanket as he looked around the room. He didn't have much else to do. He didn't want to wake up Mario and tell him that he couldn't sleep because of the storm. What if he laughed and called him a baby?_

_The sound of a thunderclap reached Luigi's ears, practically scaring him to death in the process. He let out a loud, terrified scream and hid under the covers. Never in his life did he like thunderstorms._

_Lightning flashed as another thunderclap made its call. Luigi curled into a tight ball, begging for the storm to finally be over._

"_Go away, storm. Go away."_

_Too bad for him that it still kept going. One more roar of thunder came as Luigi let out another shriek._

"_Please make it stop," he softly pleaded._

"_Luigi?"_

_The youngest sibling poked his head out from under his hiding spot to see Mario standing by the bed. Luigi had to squint his eyes a little due to the sudden brightness of Mario's flashlight._

"_I heard you screaming, Luigi. Are you okay?"_

"_M-me? Screaming? N-no, that wasn't me." The cadet tried to hide his fear but he knew that he failed miserably._

"_Oh, really?" Mario always knew when his little brother tried to hide his fear. "Then why are you under your blanket like that?"_

_His question was answered when another loud boom of thunder echoed through the sky again. Luigi shut his eyes tightly as he withdrew his head back under the blanket._

"_Luigi, are you… afraid of thunderstorms?" _

_The younger brother stuck out his head, this time in shame and embarrassment. He nodded._

"_I know, it's stupid. You probably think I'm a big baby, don't you?"_

"_Luigi, you're my brother. So what if you're scared? It's normal."_

"_You don't think I'm a big baby for being afraid?"_

"_Of course not. It's okay to be scared sometimes."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah." Mario smiled at his younger sibling. Luigi smiled back but the smile quickly vanished when a flash of lightning appeared. He whimpered as he gripped the blanket and prepared to hide back under it._

"_It's okay, Weegie. I'm right here."_

_No sooner did another sound of thunder come its way. Luigi was about to hide under the covers when he felt a hand on his back._

"_It's okay," Mario repeated._

"_Mario?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Uh…" Luigi looked out the window then back at his brother. "Is it okay if… um…"_

"… _if I stayed here with you?" the older sibling finished. Luigi nodded, a bit embarrassed. He scooted over to make some room for him. Mario climbed up and sat next to the scared cadet._

"_Thanks, big brother."_

"_No problem."_

Mario smiled at the memory. Thanks to him and a little time, Luigi had grown used to the lightning and thunder, and he would once in a while fall asleep to the sound of raindrops tapping against the window.

As Mario listened to the quiet atmosphere, another memory came into his mind.

_His light-blue eyes glared at the Boo in front of him. Except this was no ordinary Boo. Atop his head was a gold crown that was decorated with a red ruby. Instead of beady black eyes, red eyes stared back at his captor._

"_Ah, I just love my Mario painting."_

_The red-capped plumber glared at the king of Boos. "Let me go!" he shouted._

"_I don't see that happening anytime soon."_

"_Just wait until Luigi gets here!"_

_King Boo looked at him before laughing. "That little scaredy-cat? Ha! I doubt that your brother will ever make it past all of those ghosts and me!"_

"_Don't be so sure of yourself," Mario countered. "My brother will get me out of here!"_

"_Please," the Boo scoffed. "Last I saw him he was cowering against a wall. My subject of Boos and all of the other ghosts in this mansion will take care of him. Once he's completely freaked out I'll find him and soon, I'll have a Luigi painting to keep you company."_

"_You better leave my brother alone!"_

_King Boo laughed again. "Hahahaha! And what makes you think I'll do that? The two of you have been nothing but a nuisance to me for years."_

"_What do you mean?" Mario asked, raising an eyebrow._

"_The way you bested us by stomping on us while we had our guard down. You and your brother have been giving us nothing but humiliation towards our reputation. But capturing the both of you will be a perfect revenge."_

_The red plumber narrowed his eyes at the Boo. Since he was stuck inside of a painting, he couldn't do much except call for help. He couldn't escape at all and the only thing he could do was yell out for someone to get him out. This did nothing but amuse the king of Boos._

"_You can cry for help all you want, Mario, but there's no way Luigi will find and rescue you." King Boo laughed again before continuing. "And speaking of your cowardly brother, I can't believe he fell for this whole thing! I mean, who actually believes that mansions can be won in contests? What do they feed you Mario brothers anyway? Gullible soup? Hahahahaha! Getting your brother will be easier than I thought."_

_Mario was about to say something when something else caught his eye. Or rather someone._

"_Luigi!"_

"_Huh?" Confused by his captor's strange outburst, King Boo turned around to see Luigi standing there, the nozzle of the Poltergust 3000 pointed directly at him. The Boo saw fear in the man's eyes but he also saw a hint of determination._

"_Ah, Luigi. You actually made it all the way to me. I gotta say, I'm actually impressed."_

"_Let Mario go!" Luigi demanded._

"_Hahaha! And give me one good reason why I should."  
_

"_I'm warning you!" Luigi pointed the vacuum's nozzle even closer to the ghost in front of him. The round spirit stared at it for a moment before letting out a cackling laugh._

"_Hahaha! Please! That pathetic excuse for a vacuum cleaner doesn't scare me! You may have been able to capture all of the other Boos, but I won't be caught so easily! Now, prepare to suffer the same fate as your brother… inside a PAINTING!!!"_

_King Boo flew into the painting behind him and the next thing Luigi knew he was being sucked right into it!_

_Mario felt himself being pushed further back into his prison the minute King Boo flew in. After yelling for help and trying to find ways to escape he was exhausted. Hours had passed since his capture and he wondered how his little brother, despite his fears, had successfully made it this far._

_But all he knew now was that Luigi had gotten into a battle with King Boo, who was controlling a Bowser robot. He was able to see everything from his position and he saw the younger brother shaking in fear. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't help him. All he could do was float in this strange realm._

_Feeling his exhaustion catching up to him, Mario took one last look at his courageous brother._

"_Luigi… Be careful… little brother…"he softly said in hopes the cadet had heard him. Then everything went black._

Mario didn't remember much afterwards, except for the sudden rude awakening thanks to that Ghost Portificationizer. But he did remember everything after he was freed from that painting. He felt a little disoriented at first but when he saw his brother, he was relieved to see that he was alright. He couldn't have been more proud of Luigi.

Mario sighed and lay back down on the bed. He looked at the clock, which read 12:49 in the morning. He yawned and closed his eyes, waiting to fall asleep. But something snapped him out of his subconscious.

_**Clank!**_

_What was that?_ he thought as he sat upright.

_**Clank!**_

_Where's that noise coming from?_

Jumping out of bed, Mario exited his bedroom to investigate. When he made it to the stairs he noticed a dim light coming from the kitchen. He walked in and saw his little brother with a glass of water in his hand.

"Luigi?"

The cadet froze and turned his head to see Mario standing there.

"Mario? What are you doing up?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing."

Luigi looked back at the cup in his hand then back again at his brother. "Want some water?"

"No thanks."

Luigi shrugged before taking a sip of his drink.

"So, Luigi…" Mario walked over towards him. "Is there any particular reason why you're up this late?"

"I was just thirsty." Luigi stared at his glass. He was trying to avoid any eye contact.

Mario sensed a bit of tension and asked, "Something wrong?"

The younger sibling shook his head even though he wanted to slap himself and confess already. _What the heck are you waiting for? Some special invitation or something? Tell him!_

"Well, if there's something bothering you or anything, you can always tell me." Mario placed a comforting hand on Luigi's shoulder. The younger brother nodded and walked out of the kitchen with his glass of water.

"Good night, Mario."

"Good night, Luigi."

The older sibling watched the younger one head up the stairs and to his room. Mario glanced between the stairs and the spot where Luigi once stood.

No one knew Luigi better than Mario. Whenever the younger brother had a glass of water in the middle of the night, it was usually because of a nightmare.

But Mario didn't hear any screaming at all. Did Luigi really have a bad dream, or was he just parched?

After a quick yawn, Mario turned off the light and climbed upstairs. He took a glance towards the direction of Luigi's bedroom before retreating to his own.

* * *

Sorry if it's short. I guess it seemed long to me since I'm the one writing it. Oh, and sorry but I just had to put in that _Luigi's Mansion _reference and such. I just love that game. In fact, I'm sort of working on a couple fanfictions for it, but that's another story. (Well that was a stupid pun.)

I know this is going a bit slowly but be patient.


	5. Ch 4: I'm Not You!

Another chapter for you to read! So come and get it!

I had a whole week off from school so I decided to put the finishing touches on this one. I was also reading some Mario fanfics when I came across some that I'm dying to read. But apparently, some are taking place during events of _Super Paper Mario _(which I happened to finally get a copy of just about a week ago.) Had the game for practically a week and I'm already almost done with it. I was calm when I actually got to the part about Mr. L in the game (not really. I was practically esctatic, not to mention squealing with joy.) Maybe it'll give me a few ideas for future chapters.

Yeah... I know what you're all thinking. I'll shut up... for now.

* * *

The Darkness Within

Chapter 4: I'm Not You!

Luigi gulped down the rest of his water before sliding down along his closed bedroom door. He had just woken up from another nightmare but it wasn't as bad as the last one, which caused him to scream. But nonetheless it was still horrible.

Luigi couldn't remember much of the dream. The only thing he did remember, though, was a horrifying sight. He saw someone lying on the ground begging for his attacker to stop. But the person just ignored him and resumed his actions. The victim let out a scream before Luigi woke up, panting heavily. He didn't know who those two people in his dream were, but one of their voices sounded very familiar…

Luigi sucked in a deep breath before getting up from his spot on the floor. He placed the empty glass on the nightstand and looked at himself in the mirror. The soft moonlight helped him see his reflection.

His dark brown hair was a bit messy- mainly because of the hat. Fearful light-blue eyes stared back at his tired face.

_Why didn't I tell Mario when I had the chance?_

_**Why? Because he'll never understand you. That's why.**_

Luigi gasped. "No… N-not again."

He quickly turned around but saw no one there. Breathing a sigh of relief, the cadet walked over to his bed and climbed in. The second his head hit the pillow he immediately fell asleep.

_The cool air swept through his hair as he looked at his environment. He was back in that dark, mysterious world, one of the last places he wanted to be in._

"_Hello?" Luigi called. He took a few hesitant steps forward, eyes glancing around nervously. "A-any… body here?"_

_He continued walking around, half hoping for anyone to answer him. He wasn't aware of a presence behind him._

"_Hello?"_

"_It's about time you showed up."_

_The green plumber froze. He gulped and slowly turned around._

"_So, Luigi…" Mr. L looked at the man before him. Outstretching a hand he continued. "Have you finally come to your senses?"_

"_Uh…" Luigi stared at the hand then up at Mr. L's light-blue eyes. He tried to vocalize his answer but it was as though he was robbed of his voice._

"_I guess you haven't," Mr. L said. He raised his extended hand and snapped his fingers._

_A black Power Star appeared on command. It started circling around the only two people until it started to glow a dark shade of purple. Luigi had to shield his eyes when the star began to shine brightly. When he opened them he saw that he was no longer in that dark world, but in a very familiar one instead._

"_Where are we?"_

"_Near that princess' castle."_

_Luigi was about to ask why they were there but saw his evil half walking ahead of him. As Luigi followed he noticed a few patches of burnt grass. Looking up at the sky he saw that it wasn't its usual cheerful blue. Instead, it was dark and cloudy._

_As they neared the castle more patches of burnt grass were visible all over the castle grounds. Luigi felt a little uneasy. __**What happened? Did Bowser attack again?**_

_The plumber didn't notice that Mr. L had stopped until he accidentally bumped into him._

"_Why'd you stop?" Luigi asked._

_Mr. L didn't answer. Instead he pointed straight ahead of his position. Luigi followed the direction of where he was pointing to and couldn't believe what he was seeing._

_Out in front of the castle was Mario. His clothes were torn and singed in several spots and his red cap was askew on his head. The right sleeve of his shirt was torn from the elbow to his wrist, exposing the deep scratch on his bare arm. His face had bruises and cuts all over and Luigi saw his brother's eyes filled with shock, disbelief, and betrayal._

_Worried about his brother's current state, Luigi ran over to him and asked, "Mario! What happened? Did Bowser try to kidnap Peach again?"_

_Mario looked up and after having a closer look, Luigi saw dried trails of tears on Mario's cheeks._

_Was Mario… crying?_

"_What are you doing here?" the older brother asked. His tone was cold as ice._

"_What're you talking about? I just got here."_

"_Yeah, right." The two siblings looked at each other in silence. After a few moments, Mario asked, "How could you, Luigi?"_

"_Huh? How could I what?" Luigi hadn't the slightest clue to what was going on. Just what the heck was Mario talking about?_

"_Mario… What are you-"_

"_Don't play dumb, Luigi!" the older one snapped. "How could you do this to me?!"_

"_Wha- What?" Luigi stared at him then at his injuries. His eyes widened as it clicked in his mind._

"_Are you saying that I did that to you?"_

"_Stop pretending you didn't do anything!"_

_The cadet put both hands up in defense, palms facing outward. "But, Mario, I didn't! How could you think-"_

_But before Luigi could finish, Mario grabbed him by the straps of his overalls and pulled him closer._

"_Just stop it, okay?! I've had enough of your lies!"_

_Luigi couldn't believe his ears. Mario was accusing him of lying?_

"_M-Mario… You know that I would never-"_

"_Just stop!" Mario shouted as he shoved his little brother to the ground. He then ran off, leaving behind a confused Luigi._

"_What… what happened?"_

"_He wasn't listening, that's what happened."_

_Luigi turned and saw Mr. L standing next to him. "Like I said before, he won't understand you and he never will."_

_Luigi got up from the ground and looked towards the direction Mario had run off to._

"_What… did I do?"_

_Mr. L smirked while looking away from his counterpart. __**You'll find out soon enough.**_

As Luigi slept, a lone tear rolled down his cheek.

~*~*~

"I'm so glad you could come visit today, Mario," Peach said as she welcomed her guests.

"No problem, princess," Mario said. "You know Luigi and I always love paying you visits. Right, Luigi?"

"Right." Luigi covered his mouth and yawned. Two days have passed and he still wasn't getting enough sleep thanks to those dreams. For some reason, he felt as though they were trying to tell him something. But he wasn't sure what.

His thoughts were put on hold however when a familiar voice rang in his ears.

"Hi, Luigi!" The plumber looked behind him to see who greeted him.

"Oh, hi, Daisy." Luigi felt his cheeks burn up slightly.

Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland, was certainly no quiet girl. She's a tomboy with an attitude to boot. She's pretty much the opposite of Peach when it comes to personality.

"How've you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm okay." He yawned. "Just tired."

"Oh. Hi, Mario." She waved.

"Hi, Daisy. How are things going for you lately?"

"Nothing much really. I was getting kinda bored in my castle so I decided to see how Peach is doing. I didn't now you and Luigi would be coming over too."

Mario chuckled. "Yeah. Talk about coincidence."

"Mario, Luigi, Daisy!" Peach called. "Are you guys coming?"

"We'd better not keep her waiting," Daisy said.

The red plumber nodded. Daisy headed off towards the castle's courtyard. Mario was about to follow but stopped when he suddenly heard soft snoring.

"Luigi?" The younger brother had dozed off while standing. Mario frowned. _His nightmares are probably getting worse._

"Luigi… Wake up, lil' bro."

"Huh? What?" Luigi yawned and looked at his brother. "I fell asleep, didn't I?"

Mario nodded. "Luigi, have your nightmares been getting worse?"

The cadet looked away from him, not responding as he did so. The older brother could only take that as a yes.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Luigi was about to respond when he saw something behind Mario. The black clothing, the green hat, and that intimidating smirk…

"No…" Luigi whispered. _This can't be happening. This can't be happening!_

"Luigi? Luigi, are you alright?"

"_**Do you think you can trust him?"**_

"Luigi?"

**_"He'll never understand you…"_**

"Luigi, answer me!"

_This isn't happening. G-go away!_

_**"Do you think you can let him steal the limelight for himself…?"**_

_Leave me alone! Please!_

"Luigi? What's wrong?"

The younger brother felt as though he couldn't even breathe. He began to shake violently as he saw his counterpart's hand glow a dangerous shade of green. To Luigi's horror, Mr. L raised his ignited hand and took aim at Mario.

"NO!" The cadet screamed as he pushed Mario to the ground. The older brother looked at him, confusion and worry visible in his eyes.

"Lil' bro, what's the matter with you?!"

Luigi looked back at his sibling, his breath catching up to him. What should he say? How could he explain himself this time? He just pushed his brother to protect him from danger. But it wasn't real danger, he knew that. His instincts just got the better of him. So how was he going to explain himself?

"Mario? Luigi? What happened?" Peach and Daisy had heard the cadet's scream and rushed over to the scene.

"Luigi… what's wrong?" Mario questioned once more. At this point, he was past concerned to greatly worried.

Luigi looked at the two princesses then back at his brother. As he got off of him, he tried to come up with something but nothing came to mind.

"Is something bothering you, Luigi?" Peach asked. Her tone was soft and gentle.

The younger looked away, a little bit calm now. He wanted so badly to get everything out, but he didn't know where to start.

"_**Just give it up. Not a single one of them will comprehend."**_

Luigi's eyes widened as his whole body started to shake a little. "Please, no…" he whispered desperately.

A gentle and caring hand made its way on the man's shoulder, making him jump.

"What's the matter?" It was Daisy. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was a little worried. "You can tell us."

Luigi shrugged off her hand and quickly stood up. "I, uh, I… g-gotta go. Sorry," he said and he ran off.

"Little brother!" Mario shouted but the younger sibling had gotten a good head start. He sighed.

"Peach, I'm really sorry that I have to cut this visit short again, but you know, Luigi…"

"Don't worry, Mario, I understand," Peach said. "Now, go on."

"Thank you." Mario gave the princess a quick kiss on the cheek before running after Luigi.

As she watched him run off, Daisy turned to Peach, asking, "What's wrong with Luigi?"

"I wish I knew…"

~*~*~

He continued running and ignoring all the stares from the princess's servants. The only thing he couldn't ignore was that voice.

No matter how hard he tried, it would sneak its way back into his head somehow and makes things worse for him.

"_**There's no way of escaping me, Luigi. For we are both one and the same."**_

_No! I'm nothing like you! So leave me alone already!_

"_**Ah, ah, ah! You've forgotten one little detail."**_

_And that would be…_

"_**That I won't leave until you accept that offer."**_

Luigi had made it to the castle grounds and stopped running. He dropped to his knees as he panted heavily.

"Please… leave me alone," he whispered pleadingly. "I don't deserve any of this."

* * *

Please review if you like. I think this one's a little on the short side. Oh, well. To quote Dimentio (who I'm still ticked off at for sending Mario, Bowser, Peach, and (mostly) Luigi to the Underwhere, a cool yet creepy place), ciao!

* * *


	6. Ch 5: Let Me Understand

Yeah, I know. It's been two months since the last chapter. I'm just taking my time (and let's not forget the inevitable writer's block). There's some reference to _Super Paper Mario _here. Sorry to those who already finished the game. I did the best I could to get it right. Anyway... here's Chapter 5!

* * *

The Darkness Within

Chapter 5: Let Me Understand

"Luigi, where are you?" Mario asked himself as he searched for his younger brother. The cadet may have had a good start, but Mario knew that he couldn't have gotten far.

"Hey, Mario." The plumber looked down and saw that it was Toad who had greeted him.

"Hi, Toad. Listen, I really can't talk right now."

"Did something happen?"

"Sort of."

" 'Cause I saw Luigi running off for some reason."

That caught the red-clad plumber's attention. "Which way did he go?"

"Uh… I think he went that way, towards the castle's main entrance. I'm not exactly sure."

_At least that's a start_, Mario thought. "Thanks, Toad," he said and ran off.

"You're welcome, Mario!"

*~*~*

Luigi sighed and brought his knees up to his chest. He was pretty sure that if he didn't tell anyone soon, he was going to crack. Why did he have to suffer like this?

_There's gotta be a way to stop that… that… that horrible evil half of mine! I'm absolutely __**nothing**_ _like him! But why did it have to be me?_

He wasn't exactly sure why he was the one. The Dark Prognosticus had mentioned about someone being the "host" for the Chaos Heart and that someone was him. However, he was just brainwashed and that resulted in Mr. L's existence. After saving all the worlds from impending destruction, Luigi thought that everything would finally settle down. He thought that Mr. L would be nothing but a horrible memory that would surely be forgotten in his mind. But now, his hidden dark side was coming back to haunt him and he didn't know what to do.

"Luigi?"

The younger brother didn't need to look up to see who it was. "Hi, Mario."

Luigi stayed put as he stared at the ground in front of him. Mario stepped closer until he was in front of the taller sibling.

"Luigi… look at me." The younger did as he was told, his tired eyes staring back at the older's worried gaze. He felt a bit guilty in his heart that he was causing so much concern.

"I want you to know that you can tell me anything. So what's wrong? And don't even think of lying."

Luigi swallowed hard. As much as he wanted to forget he wanted to tell Mario or anyone else about the nightmares. He didn't want to say anything about it, but if he kept quiet any longer he would probably go crazy.

"Um… well, I don't know where to start."

"How about what happened a few minutes ago."

Luigi's cheeks turned to a shade of light pink. "Oh, right. Heh heh."

"Well?"

"Okay." The green plumber took a deep breath. "The reason why I pushed you like that was because… I… I- I saw something."

"What?"

"It's actually a someone."

"Oh. Then who?"

"Um… it was… Mr. L."

Mario's face went from one of worry to one of grim. He had faced Mr. L before and he was sure that Luigi was back to normal.

"Are you sure?" A nod was his answer.

"Do you think we could continue this at home?" Luigi asked as he got up.

Mario nodded. Perhaps it was best to finish their conversation at home. Plus, their chances of being interrupted would be lower.

The two brothers walked away from the castle's main doors and to a nearby warp pipe. They jumped in, letting the gravitational pull of the pipe lead them home.

*~*~*

Daisy was still curious about Luigi's strange behavior. He told her he was only tired so she thought it was no big deal. But she noticed Mario and Peach's worried glances towards the green plumber and she knew that something was up. Why did he scream like that and what was making him so antsy?

"Daisy?" The flower princess turned to see Peach standing behind her. Neither one of them had moved after the brothers' departure.

"You okay, Daisy?"

"What's the matter with Luigi?"

Peach shrugged. "I don't know."

"What about Mario? Does he know if anything's wrong?"

The pink princess thought for a moment before replying, "Not much. All he knows is that Luigi's been having trouble sleeping."

_That explains why he was so tired,_ Daisy thought. "Anything else?"

"No." Peach wanted to tell her more but that was all she knew. She sighed. Just then, something wet landed on her nose.

Looking up at the sky they saw a few gray clouds. A light drizzle of rain was starting to come down.

"We'd better get inside," Peach suggested.

"Yeah, before Toadsworth starts to get his mushroom cap all shriveled up over nothing."

As the two princesses went back inside, Daisy's thoughts went back to Luigi. She may not know what was going on but she was going to find out sooner or later.

*~*~*

Silence filled the Mario household as the two brothers sat on the living room couch. Neither one of them had spoken a word yet, not sure how to approach the situation. No longer wanting to listen to absolutely nothing, Luigi decided that it was time to finally get it out in the open.

"Mario… remember what happened when we had to save the worlds from being destroyed by the Void?" The older brother nodded but refrained from speaking. He wanted to finally hear what the younger had to say so they both could stop worrying.

"And do you remember when we had to fight against each other while I was hypnotized?"

Another nod came from Mario.

"Well, I thought that after we got all eight of the Pure Hearts and saved the dimensions, I would be back to my normal self. I thought that Mr. L was gone for good. But… I've been having a few nightmares lately. And they involved Mr. L." Luigi paused and drew in a quick breath. "That night when you heard me screaming was because of it."

_So that's what's causing him to have bad dreams,_ Mario thought.

"And I had two during the same night a couple days ago."

"Wait. Was that the same night when I found you in the kitchen?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't tell me you had a nightmare so I thought that you were just thirsty."

"I lied. I wasn't really all that thirsty."

Mario remained silent and let his younger brother continue.

"I had a nightmare that night and I didn't want to worry you. I don't remember much of it anyway. All I do remember was that there were two people. One was hurting the other person who was telling him to stop, but he didn't listen. He just continued to hurt him, saying that everything was all his fault." Luigi's gaze drifted to the carpet. "And… I had another nightmare that same night. Y-you were hurt and I went to see if you were alright. But when you looked at me you yelled at me and said that _I _hurt you."

Mario blinked at his brother in confusion. He knew that Luigi would never hurt him. Sure, there were those few times when he had to fight his brother but he had no choice. Plus, the younger brother was brainwashed and that wasn't the Luigi everyone knew and loved. He too thought that Mr. L was nothing but a horrible memory.

"Luigi… I know that you would never do that to me or anyone else."

Luigi nodded, his gaze still fixed on the carpet.

_**What are you doing?!**_

_What does it look like I'm doing?_

_**Do you want to be shunned by your own brother?**_

_Mario would never do anything like that! Besides, he seems to be taking it all okay._

_**You think that now… But just you wait, Luigi. He'll turn on you in a heartbeat.**_

_Leave me alone, Mr. L!_

_**Alright. But only for a little while.**_

"Luigi?"

The cadet looked up at Mario's concerned face. Giving the red plumber a reassuring smile he continued.

"I'm guessing you're dying to know about that night when I was screaming."

Mario placed a supportive hand on Luigi's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, bro."

The taller man shook his head. "I'd rather tell you anyway."

"Okay… if you're fine with that…" Luigi nodded.

"I wasn't sure where I was exactly. It was really dark and I was calling if there was anyone there. That's when I first saw… _him_. He kept telling me that I'm just living under your shadow and that it's time to let everyone see my real potential. But I told him that I'd never hurt you just so I can get my share of the glory. Then he brought out three black Power Stars. I'm not sure why though. Anyway, he kept trying to convince me to join him but I still refused. Then he grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. Mr. L was standing above me with his hand raised. It started glowing green and I was so scared I couldn't move. I wished that you would come help me but he heard me and just laughed. All I could do was sit there while he was about to attack me. Then I woke up screaming."

Luigi slowly looked away from his brother and sighed. He felt a whole lot better now that he got everything out in the open. He just hoped that his brother took it well.

Mario sat there as he let everything sink in. He knew Luigi had nightmares before, but this was a whole new level. Part of him felt a little guilty for believing that the younger brother was alright when he wasn't. Yet, part of him felt scared for the both of them. What if Mr. L wasn't really gone?

"Luigi… why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The younger sibling slightly cringed. He knew that question would pop up eventually.

"I… I was a bit afraid that you wouldn't understand."

Mario frowned. How could Luigi think that?

"Hey, I do understand. And don't worry about Mr. L. Those were all just nightmares, right?"

The cadet smiled. "Right. Thanks, Mario."

"What are big brothers for?"

The sound of distant thunder suddenly reached their ears. Turning towards the window they saw rain coming down gently. They were so busy talking that they hadn't even noticed the change in weather.

"Uh, you don't think Peach was upset when we left early again, do you?" Luigi suddenly asked after recalling his rude and embarrassing take-off earlier.

"Nah, I think she understands."

Luigi hoped his brother was right. He still couldn't erase the princesses' concerns and confusion from his mind. He hoped they weren't too worried, especially Daisy.

*~*~*

The gentle rain shower turned into a thunderstorm later that evening. The raindrops were hitting against the windows hard. The brothers were off in their dream worlds. Mario was peacefully sleeping, his loud snoring filling the room. Along with the snoring came a few soft mumbles of pasta. How typical. But the same couldn't be said for Luigi though.

The younger sibling was tossing and turning on his bed. The covers were tangled up around him as he struggled.

"No…" Luigi mumbled. "Mario…"

_Mario lay on the ground at the front of the castle. He tried to get back up but he only fell back down. Looking up he saw what was once his brother._

"_Luigi… why?"_

_He glared at the red clad plumber. "Why? Because you always left me behind. And for not giving me any credit when I helped you. I was destined to be the host for the Chaos Heart, remember? So the real person who should be blamed for all of this is you."_

"_Me?"_

"_Who else? Who was the one that left me alone all the time? Who didn't let me go on your ridiculous adventures? Who forgot about me?"_

"_That's not true and you know it Lui- "_

"_It's Mr. L. The Luigi you know is gone. And so are you."_

_Mr. L's hands began to emit a mixture of green fire and blue electricity. His eyes showed nothing but absolute revenge and power._

_He looked down at the fallen man in front of him and spoke his last words to him._

"_Farewell, dear brother. Forever."_

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as the storm continued. Above it, Mario suddenly heard something out of the ordinary. It was the sound of glass breaking.

_Huh? What was that?_

But his questions were soon answered.

"No!! MARIO!"

"Oh, no! Luigi!"


End file.
